Rate My Professor Alison Heather

Professor Alison Heather is a Professor in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Otago. She holds a BSc(Hons) and PhD. Her research focuses on how sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone, affect non-reproductive tissues in the body. Her primary investigations examine how these hormones promote calcification of atherosclerotic plaques, the major underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, where plaque calcification leads to increased rupture risk, resulting in heart attacks and strokes. The work in her laboratory seeks to improve understanding and safety of hormone replacement treatments. Additionally, her team develops bioassays for detecting designer androgens and estrogens used as doping agents in sports. The Heather Lab also explores mechanisms of sex hormone effects on skeletal muscle anabolism and advanced cell-based detection methods for prohibited substances.

Professor Heather leads a productive research group with numerous peer-reviewed publications. Key works include highly cited papers such as 'Lymphatic vessels are essential for the removal of cholesterol from peripheral tissues by SR-BI-mediated transport of HDL' (Lim et al., Cell Metabolism, 2013), 'Effects of high-density lipoproteins on pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion' (Fryirs et al., Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2010), 'Myths and methodologies: reducing scientific design ambiguity in studies comparing sexes and/or menstrual cycle phases' (Sims and Heather, Experimental Physiology, 2018), and 'A sex-specific role for androgens in angiogenesis' (Sieveking et al., Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2010). Recent publications cover androgen receptor mutations in insensitivity syndromes (Pandher et al., Endocrine Connections, 2024), estrogen negative feedback in GnRH regulation (McQuillan et al., Nature Communications, 2022), and bioactivity of keto and hydroxy androgens (Handelsman et al., Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 2022). She has secured research funding from the Heart Foundation New Zealand for studies on arterial disease prevention. Her contributions extend to sports science, including physiological considerations for elite athletes.